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Local retiree recalls photographing JFK

George Phenix talks about witnessing Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald when Phenix was a new TV journalist in 1963. Phenix, along with three other journalist who were working in Dallas at the time, wrote a book about their experiences called "When the News Went Live."

Published: Friday, November 22, 2013 at 3:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 9:45 p.m.

On Nov. 22, 1963, George Phenix stood behind a camera as President John F. Kennedy stepped off of Air Force One. He filmed as screaming and excited crowds shook the president's hand as he worked his way down the rope line.

As Kennedy's limousine drove away toward the parade route, Phenix thought his work in the field was done for the day.

Hardly.

Less than an hour later, Phenix was on his way to Parkland Hospital. The images are still burned into his mind 50 years later. Traveling with a military general he did not know, Phenix learned that Kennedy had been shot.

He had been a reporter with KRLD in Dallas for just six weeks when he was assigned to film a portion of the president's parade route. It was a four-man job that day for the television/radio station. Phenix, Bob Huffaker, Bill Mercer and Wes Wise were tasked with different portions of the parade route.

The four reporters came together 10 years ago to write a book, "When the News Went Live — Dallas 1963." The book's foreword was written by former CBS news anchor Dan Rather.

With little reporting experience, Phenix relied on instincts in the aftermath of a tragedy that shocked the nation.

"Communication was pretty primitive in those days," he said. "You're 24 years old, your president has just been shot and you have to work."

Instinctively, Phenix went to work when he arrived at the chaotic scene at Parkland. Just an hour earlier, he was filming a smiling president on a sunny day in front of an adoring crowd.

The scene at Parkland was the exact opposite.

"I filmed a lot of the stuff around the perimeter — the open limousine, the roses on the floorboard," he said. He filmed the remaining blood splatters that weren't wiped away by a Secret Service agent.

The feeling that overwhelmed him was numbness, he said. The four reporters didn't get a chance to grieve with the nation. Instead, they were recording history.

And that's what the book is. It's not for glory or dollars.

"We didn't do it for the money," Phenix said. "We did it for the history."

Phenix, who retired to Hendersonville, has spent much of October and November in Dallas for the anniversary. The four writers will be speaking at the Sixth Floor Museum, housed in the former Book Depository building where Lee Harvey Oswald fired his rifle that day.

The assassination day was just the beginning of four days of turmoil, Phenix said.

He spent the next few days covering the police station and Oswald. The police department would walk Oswald through a hallway on the third floor of the police headquarters for photographers and reporters to photograph and question.

"It was rough in that hallway," Phenix said, adding that the hallway was filled with reporters from all over the world.

Two days after Oswald was arrested, he was being moved to a county jail. Phenix was in the garage of police headquarters when Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby made his way through the media and shot Oswald.

Phenix photographed a clip that Dan Rather pointed to on air. The scene raised questions about whether Oswald knew Ruby. The footage shows Ruby passing in front of his camera and Oswald turning toward him as if he recognized him. The footage sparked conspiracy theories, Phenix said.

Phenix went on to cover parts of the Ruby trial before leaving the station after a year to be a political lobbyist. He spent the rest of his career as a lobbyist and speech writer, and then ran the largest Texas newsletter — Texas Weekly — before retiring.

When he was asked to write some chapters for the book, he wasn't sure he would be able to. After thinking about it for four days, he finally sat down to write, and the memories flowed faster and clearer than he thought they would. He remembered the happiness that surrounded Love Airport as Kennedy landed.

"There was so much excitement," he said. "My heart was pumping so fast."

It was the first time he'd ever met a president.

Even more vivid than that happiness was the sadness he discovered at Parkland Hospital and in the days after the assassination. In less than an hour, a reporter, a city and the world went from joy to grief.

"(I) wish it hadn't happened," Phenix said. "The world would've been a better place."

<p>On Nov. 22, 1963, George Phenix stood behind a camera as President John F. Kennedy stepped off of Air Force One. He filmed as screaming and excited crowds shook the president's hand as he worked his way down the rope line.</p><p>As Kennedy's limousine drove away toward the parade route, Phenix thought his work in the field was done for the day.</p><p>Hardly.</p><p>Less than an hour later, Phenix was on his way to Parkland Hospital. The images are still burned into his mind 50 years later. Traveling with a military general he did not know, Phenix learned that Kennedy had been shot.</p><p>He had been a reporter with KRLD in Dallas for just six weeks when he was assigned to film a portion of the president's parade route. It was a four-man job that day for the television/radio station. Phenix, Bob Huffaker, Bill Mercer and Wes Wise were tasked with different portions of the parade route.</p><p>The four reporters came together 10 years ago to write a book, "When the News Went Live — Dallas 1963." The book's foreword was written by former CBS news anchor Dan Rather.</p><p>With little reporting experience, Phenix relied on instincts in the aftermath of a tragedy that shocked the nation.</p><p>"Communication was pretty primitive in those days," he said. "You're 24 years old, your president has just been shot and you have to work."</p><p>Instinctively, Phenix went to work when he arrived at the chaotic scene at Parkland. Just an hour earlier, he was filming a smiling president on a sunny day in front of an adoring crowd.</p><p>The scene at Parkland was the exact opposite.</p><p>"I filmed a lot of the stuff around the perimeter — the open limousine, the roses on the floorboard," he said. He filmed the remaining blood splatters that weren't wiped away by a Secret Service agent.</p><p>The feeling that overwhelmed him was numbness, he said. The four reporters didn't get a chance to grieve with the nation. Instead, they were recording history.</p><p>And that's what the book is. It's not for glory or dollars.</p><p>"We didn't do it for the money," Phenix said. "We did it for the history."</p><p>Phenix, who retired to Hendersonville, has spent much of October and November in Dallas for the anniversary. The four writers will be speaking at the Sixth Floor Museum, housed in the former Book Depository building where Lee Harvey Oswald fired his rifle that day.</p><p>The assassination day was just the beginning of four days of turmoil, Phenix said.</p><p>He spent the next few days covering the police station and Oswald. The police department would walk Oswald through a hallway on the third floor of the police headquarters for photographers and reporters to photograph and question.</p><p>"It was rough in that hallway," Phenix said, adding that the hallway was filled with reporters from all over the world. </p><p>Two days after Oswald was arrested, he was being moved to a county jail. Phenix was in the garage of police headquarters when Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby made his way through the media and shot Oswald.</p><p>Phenix photographed a clip that Dan Rather pointed to on air. The scene raised questions about whether Oswald knew Ruby. The footage shows Ruby passing in front of his camera and Oswald turning toward him as if he recognized him. The footage sparked conspiracy theories, Phenix said.</p><p>Phenix went on to cover parts of the Ruby trial before leaving the station after a year to be a political lobbyist. He spent the rest of his career as a lobbyist and speech writer, and then ran the largest Texas newsletter — Texas Weekly — before retiring.</p><p>When he was asked to write some chapters for the book, he wasn't sure he would be able to. After thinking about it for four days, he finally sat down to write, and the memories flowed faster and clearer than he thought they would. He remembered the happiness that surrounded Love Airport as Kennedy landed.</p><p>"There was so much excitement," he said. "My heart was pumping so fast."</p><p>It was the first time he'd ever met a president.</p><p>Even more vivid than that happiness was the sadness he discovered at Parkland Hospital and in the days after the assassination. In less than an hour, a reporter, a city and the world went from joy to grief.</p><p>"(I) wish it hadn't happened," Phenix said. "The world would've been a better place."</p><p>Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.</p>